Most people setting up a home bar buy backwards — a beautiful bottle of gin first, then a cart to put it on, and only later realise they've got nothing to actually make a drink with. You don't need much. Five tools cover almost every classic cocktail, and none of them cost more than a round of drinks at a bar. Here's what to actually buy, in the order it earns its space.
Quick answer
If you buy nothing else: a shaker, a jigger and a bar spoon. That trio makes a Martini, a Daiquiri, a Whisky Sour and a Negroni — which covers shaken, stirred and built drinks, the three techniques behind almost every classic on the International Bartenders Association's official cocktail list. Add a strainer and a muddler once you're mixing regularly, and you've got a genuinely complete kit.
| Tool | What it's for | Buy it |
|---|---|---|
| Shaker | Chilling and combining anything with juice, sugar or cream | First |
| Jigger | Measuring, so every drink tastes the same twice | First |
| Bar spoon | Stirring spirit-forward drinks without bruising them | First |
| Strainer | Keeping ice and pulp out of the glass | Second |
| Muddler | Releasing oils and juice from fresh herbs and fruit | Second |
The three tools to buy first
A shaker earns its place first because so many popular drinks need one — anything with citrus, sugar, cream or egg white has to be shaken hard to combine and chill properly, and stirring won't do it. A Boston shaker (two tins that seal together) chills faster and is easier to clean than a one-piece cobbler shaker, though it does mean buying a separate strainer.
A jigger is the least glamorous purchase on this list and the one that actually makes the biggest difference. Free-pouring by eye is how a Negroni turns into mouthwash. A standard Australian jigger measures 30mL and 60mL — a single and double nip — which lines up with how most recipes, including ours below, are written.
A bar spoon handles anything that shouldn't be shaken — a Martini, a Negroni, an Old Fashioned. Its long twisted handle lets you stir smoothly with two fingers, chilling the drink without the tiny air bubbles a shake would introduce, which is why stirred drinks look clear and shaken ones look cloudy.
Shop the full range: Cocktail Shakers, Jiggers and Bar Tools.
The two to add once you're mixing regularly
A strainer holds back the ice and any muddled fruit while you pour, which a Boston shaker doesn't do on its own. A Hawthorne strainer (the coiled-spring kind) fits neatly on top of a shaker tin and is the standard choice for almost everything.
A muddler presses herbs, fruit and sugar to release their oils and juice before the shake — the actual difference between a Mojito that tastes like mint and one that just has a leaf floating in it. Press and twist rather than pound; smashing mint releases bitter chlorophyll along with the flavour you're after.
Both live in our Bar Tools collection, alongside mixing glasses for stirred drinks made in batches.
What about the glass?
The tools above work with whatever glassware you've already got, but the right glass does change the drink — a rocks glass holds a big block of ice properly, a coupe survives the walk from bar to sofa. We've written a full breakdown in our guide to cocktail glass types if you're stocking glassware from scratch.
Building it in stages
- Starter (under $150): a shaker, a jigger and a bar spoon, plus two glasses you probably already own. Covers Martinis, Daiquiris, Whisky Sours and Negronis.
- Proper (under $300): add a strainer, a muddler and a dedicated rocks and coupe glass each. Covers Mojitos, Old Fashioneds and most of the IBA's official list.
- Show-off: a curated barware set that bundles the lot in one box, plus a highball and a proper gin glass for guests who don't drink whisky.
A shopping list you can screenshot
- 1x cocktail shaker
- 1x jigger (30mL / 60mL)
- 1x bar spoon
- 1x Hawthorne strainer
- 1x muddler
- 2x rocks glasses, 2x coupe or martini glasses
- Optional: a mixing glass, for stirred drinks made two at a time
Prefer it pre-boxed? Our Barware Sets bundle most of this list in one order, or browse everything at once in All Barware.
Home bar FAQs
How much does it cost to set up a home bar in Australia?
A proper starter kit — shaker, jigger, bar spoon and a couple of glasses — typically runs $100–$150. A full kit with a muddler, strainer and dedicated glassware for four is usually under $300.
Do I need a bar cart or fridge?
No. A shelf and a tray to keep bottles from marking the furniture is enough to start. A cart or dedicated fridge is a nice-to-have once the collection outgrows a shelf, not a requirement to make a good drink.
What spirits should I actually start with?
Gin, whisky and a white rum cover the widest range of classic cocktails between them. Add vermouth (dry and sweet) and a bottle of Angostura bitters before you add a second bottle of any spirit — they do more work per dollar than another gin.
How much space does a home bar actually need?
Less than people expect. Five tools, a jigger, six glasses and four bottles fit on a single shelf roughly 60cm wide. Space becomes a real constraint only once you're collecting bottles for their own sake.
The next step
Shop the essentials: Cocktail Shakers, Jiggers, Bar Tools and Barware Sets — or see everything in one place in All Barware.